NSW state election 2015: Penny Sharpe will seek to return to upper house after Newtown loss

Labor's Penny Sharpe has announced she will seek preselection to return to the NSW upper house after failing to win the key inner city seat of Newtown.

On election night Ms Sharpe - who had been Labor's transport spokeswoman - had indicated she would not seek to return to the upper house position she was forced to resign from in order to contest Newtown, which was won by the Greens' Jenny Leong.

Penny Sharpe is seeking to return to the NSW upper house. Credit:Wolter Peeters

But following urgings from Opposition Leader Luke Foley and NSW ALP Left assistant secretary John Graham, Ms Sharpe has announced she will seek to return to Parliament and serve out the remaining four years of her upper house term.

Advertisement

"This decision was not my original intention, nor my intention after the disappointing result in Newtown," she said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

"On election night, I informed Labor leader Luke Foley that I would not be returning to the NSW Parliament. Luke asked me to take some time to rethink this position and I agreed to do this."

Ms Sharpe said the next four years "holds many challenges for NSW. There are decisions that will be made that will fundamentally change our state."

"I have very strong views on how Labor works with the community to respond to those challenges, how Labor should shape a vision for the future and how the Opposition must hold the government to account every single day between now and [the next election in] March 2019," she said.

Labor's Left faction has the right to fill the vacant upper house position and will open nominations for preselection shortly.

Verity Firth, who is not expected to contest the upper house position.Credit:Louise Kennerley

There had been suggestions that former Labor minister Verity Firth, who failed to win back her seat of Balmain at the March 28 election, had been considering contesting the position.

However, she is unlikely to do so now Ms Sharpe has said she would nominate.

Ms Sharpe said she had been "overwhelmed by the number of calls and messages I have received from members of the community, members of the Labor Party and many Labor colleagues asking me to return to the Legislative Council."

"I am grateful for this support and the faith placed in me to be able to contribute as part of a revitalised Labor Opposition and as a Member of Parliament able to work across the Parliament on other issues," she said.